Italian Sausage and Peppers Barley Risotto
Italian Sausage and Peppers Barley Risotto is just the kind of warming meal I want on a cold winter night. Creamy, nutty barley topped with that classic combo of Italian sausage and peppers, it's warming, hearty and filling. Just the kind of curl-up-in-front-of-the-fire-with-a-bowl meal that I crave when the temperature drops!
Servings: 6
Calories: 218kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup quick cooking barley see note
- 8 oz. turkey italian sausage fully cooked chicken sausage, cut into ½ inch dice or cooked shredded chicken
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion medium dice
- ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 - 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp. Madeira wine
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp. chopped italian parsley or fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside.
- Add olive oil to pan and heat until oil shimmers. Add mushrooms and cook, without stirring until mushrooms are browned. Stir and brown on the other side. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
- Add onions and peppers to pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions and peppers are tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add Madeira wine scraping up any browned bits.
- Add stock and then barley. Bring mixture to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until barley has absorbed all the liquid. Stir in reserved mushrooms and sausage. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in parsley. Serve
Notes
Notes:
- Quick-cooking barley can be found in some supermarkets and from natural food stores.
- If you are using regular pearled barley, cook the barley separately. Combine 1 cup of barley and 3 cups of stock in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer the barley for 25 - 35 minutes. The barley is done when it has tripled in volume and is tender and chewy!
- Proceed with the recipe as written, except you won't need to add the stock to the saute pan!
- As I mentioned, this dish is very flexible. You could eliminate the peppers and add frozen, chopped spinach and top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- For a meatless entry, add some sauteed tofu in place of the sausage or add a can of rinsed small white or garbanzo beans.
Nutrition
Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 379mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 29.3mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 4.8mg